Sep 28 - Exploring Vienna

We both slept like logs in the lovely king-size bed – we needed it! Breakfast is included, so we trotted off to see how the Hilton chain does a breakfast bar. Wow! It was the nicest, most extensive breakfast bar, complete with a made-to-order hot section, that we had ever seen! The décor was lovely too. There is a little coaster on each table – turn it up to show “reserved” when you are getting your second cappuccino of the morning so no one will scoop your table. Great idea. Well done all around, Hilton! In a major departure from my normal routine, I had waffles and two cappuccinos to fire me up. Healthy cereal can wait for another day!

Well-fed and watered, we set out to explore on another warm, clear, sunny day. High forecast of 26℃. There is a huge park near the hotel, so we walked the length of it. The Wien River runs through it. The brick and stonework along the canal are the star attractions, not the water which is just a stream these days. This river, in its earlier days, would have been an important commercial transportation route for the city. It joins the Danube just a few kilometres from where we are staying. In the park, we saw “Mom and Baby” fitness classes going on, teachers with kids doing phys. ed classes, couples canoodling before noon, and lots of people like us just enjoying being outside on a lovely September morning.

From the park, we headed to St. Stephan’s Cathedral, hoping to do an inside tour. St. Stephen (or Stephan) was the first Christian martyred saint. He was stoned to death in about 34 A.D. after being accused of blasphemy. But the church was a mob house. The entire city today seemed to have twice as many people exploring it as yesterday. We did get tickets for an organ recital there tonight, so we didn’t feel guilty all day turning down the guys flogging tickets for music concerts that mostly feature Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, a suite that we’ve heard many times before.

I was in Vienna last December on the Seven Sisters Loud and Crazy Christmas Markets Tour. Along for the fun were four of my sisters and two of our sisters-in-law. (If you want the blog link for that extravaganza, let me know!) We did see inside the church then, so my interior photos are from that visit.

We nixed the Hop On Hop Off bus idea – the price, we found, was way beyond what we were prepared to pay. So, we walked and walked and walked. We started at the Opera House and headed generally west, stopping every couple of minutes to admire another stunning building or complex wrought iron works or to goo at another window display of things only the extra ordinally rich can afford. We spent lots of time on Kärntner Strasse, a wide, traffic-free zone with great people watching opportunities. This is the same road Crusaders marched down as they headed off from St. Stephan’s Cathedral for the Holy Land in the 12th century. In years past, a gate stood near here, through which a road led to the Kärnten region of southern Austria, hence the name.

We stopped at the Monument Against War and Fascism, located in the Albertinplatz. The monument commemorates the dark years when Austria was under Nazi rule (1938-1945). The granite pedestals were cut from the infamous quarry at Mauthausen concentration camp. A very evocative and contemplative monument.

One building overlooking the Albertinaplatz is the Albertina. It was once the home of Empress Maria Theresa’s daughter Marie Christina. A sleek, titanium canopy affectionally known as “the diving board” shelters the entrance way. The Albertina is now a museum for modernistic paintings (Monet to Picasso). The views from the balcony are delightful.

Craving some shade, we popped into the Burggarten, once the private garden of the emperor. It is home to a famous statue of Mozart. He died just before his 35th birthday but left over 800 works of virtually every genre of his time. In a delightful touch, the flowers in front of the monument were laid out in the shape of a treble clef. Only in Vienna!

From there, we headed to Maria Theresa square which sits between two fabulous museums, the history museum, and the natural history museum. Maria Theresa was the ruler of the Hapsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780. She fostered institutional, financial, medical, and educational reforms. She also promoted commerce and the development of agriculture, and reorganised Austria's ramshackle military, all of which strengthened Austria's international standing. On the negative side, she despised Jews and Protestants and often ordered their expulsion to the far reaches of her realm.
This square was the site of a delightful Christmas market. How interesting to see how it usually looks!

Still craving shade, we popped in to the Volksgarten with its beautiful rose garden. People can a commemorative rose bush/tree to remember a family member or friend, living or deceased. What an oasis of calm in a busy city! Last December, the bushes were all shrouded in burlap, giving the place an eerie, ghostlike appearance.

We heard a military band playing and followed the sound. Sure enough, a troop of young soldiers was being inspected. Doug loves all things military!

We bought our favourite lunch, chicken Caesar salads and a couple of cold drinks, and found a bench for al fresco dining. We remarked on how many elegantly dressed women of all ages there were. Vienna could give Rome a run for its money in contest for best dressed ladies.

One more stop before heading back to the hotel for a lazy afternoon for Doug and a writeup session for me. Back in December, I found Läderach, a Swiss chocolatier. This is a mecca for all chocolate lovers. All the chocolate in made in big sheets, and you just show how big a chunk you want (note, I did not say “need”). We bought way too much and headed back with 14,000 steps to show for the day. Going to need at least 140,000 steps to wear off this treat!Read more